A southerner is a person who comes from or lives in the southern part of a country, region or continent. The term can also refer to someone who has a particular set of characteristics associated with people from that area such as hospitality, friendliness and a strong sense of community. In some countries, being a southerner may also have cultural or historical significance, for example in the United States, there is a long history of southerners identifying themselves as part of a distinct regional culture with its own traditions, music, food and dialect.